Lizbeth said, “I dinna think of it that way.”
“I ken, ye took the insult tae heart, because tis yer way. Ye think that the people of the Great Hall will hear the insult and agree with the Earl on it, ye believe yer reputation is at stake, but I tell ye, Daughter, tis nae true. All who heard it will not believe a bit of it, they will think ye poorly served and that the Earl is monstrous in his treatment of ye.”
Wilfred put down his fork and applauded.
Magnus looked amused.
Lizbeth nodded, quietly.
Lady Mairead’s brow lifted, imperiously. “And this daena even get tae the main point — the insult that in insulting my children, he heaps upon me!”
Wilfred patted her hand, nodding knowingly. “He has always caused you dismay.”
She said, “Aye, he has, but tis almost at an end.”
I asked, “Do you two get into rants like this all the time?”
Lady Mairead said, “I never rant, I just state the truth.”
Wilfred chuckled. “Sometimes she states the truth for an entire meal.”
I asked, “And you always agree with her, Wilfred?”
She, with a bit of a smile tugging at her lips, said, “Because I am always right!”
He said, “She is correct a great deal of the time and it does not hurt me one bit to agree, but when she is wrong and I tell her, she accepts my counsel.”
Sean’s eyes wide, he looked at his mother. “I canna believe it, ye allow Wilfred tae tell ye that ye are wrong?”
“Once or twice, Son, aye.”
She leaned on the table and whispered toward Lizbeth and me as if no one else could hear her, “I daena mind the occasional correction much, Wilfrey is verra easy on the eyes.”
We both laughed.
He chuckled and brought a bite of meat to his lips.
Magnus said, “Besides bringing luggage tae Lizbeth and Sean, Kaitlyn and I are also here tae go on a ride on the morrow tae the?—”
Lady Mairead, “A ride! What on earth for, certainly ye daena like tae go on long rides, Kaitlyn? Yet yer husband will drag ye out intae the wilderness anyway!”
Magnus said, “Mother, I am nae draggin’ her, I wouldna! We are goin’ tae the forest tae the east, I hae a…”
Lizbeth said, “Why dost ye want tae go tae the forest?”
“It might be our last time tae visit it in this year and tis the beginning of the forest we hae in the kingdom. Our bairns planted seedlings here, I think twill be a?—”
Lizbeth said, “Exactly, Magnus,thisforest holds the beginning of yer forest,thesetrees hold the roots of yer trees. The branches grow intae yer time, but the roots began in the earth in our time, drinking from the spring that has been here since long before the Campbells.”
Magnus’s eyes narrowed. “Yet in the future the roots are also there. The entire tree is there, the full trunk, the deep roots, we hae a good strong soil, lots of light.”
Lizbeth said, quietly, “Some trees daena transplant well?—”
Sean said, “The talk of trees is becomin’ tiresome, we understand, Magnus, ye want tae see the forest for the memory of it, but hae ye consider that tis going tae rain?”
Magnus said, “Tis?”
“Aye, tis goin’ tae shower all day.”
